New Spider-Man: Brand New Day Leak Suggests Sadie Sink Isn't Playing Rachel Cole Alves

A newly leaked set video from Spider-Man: Brand New Day shows Sadie Sink's character, and it looks like she may not be playing who a lot of people thought she would be playing. We've heard she could be playing a lot of different characters at this point, but multiple insiders now seem to say she's not actually going to be playing Rachel Cole Alves. Instead, she could be playing a hybrid character, a combination of two different characters in one, similar to what was reportedly done with Ned and the spin put on MJ in the MCU. I wouldn't put it past Marvel to do this at all.

There is a small chance this leaked scene could contain spoilers, so consider this a warning before going further. In the clip, Sink's character is being wheeled into a black van on a gurney. The scene looks similar to the one involving Mark Ruffalo's Hulk being put on a gurney and taken into an ambulance, though this time the vehicle is different, a van rather than an ambulance, which suggests it may still be part of the same overall sequence.

Who or what caused the destruction visible around the scene isn't clear. It could be the Hulk hulking out, or it could tie into the sequence where Scorpion escapes, gets into a tank, and the Punisher and Spider-Man show up, with Bruce Banner and Sink's character both caught up as collateral damage somewhere along that path. At this point that's unconfirmed.

The bigger detail is that she seemingly gets taken by the DODC, the Department of Damage Control, which we learned from Ms. Marvel typically goes after superhumans and superpowered individuals. That implies her character could have powers. She's also strapped down very securely, to the point where she isn't moving at all in the clip, which is the potential spoiler some people online have picked up on, with some speculating she might be dead.

Why I Don't Think Sadie Sink's Character Dies in Spider-Man: Brand New Day

I don't think she's just going to die in this movie at all. If they were going to kill her character off, I don't think they'd bring her in for just a scene or two. So I don't think they'd kill her off quickly, if they did at all, and honestly I don't think they'd kill her off at all, because what a waste that would be.

My read is that they're strapping her down and keeping her secure simply in case she does have superpowers, not because she's dead.

Charles Murphy Reports Punisher's Sidekick Is Played By a Black Actress, Ruling Out Sink as Rachel Cole Alves

According to a new report from Murphy's Multiverse, Charles Murphy states, and other insiders have said the same, that they've heard the Punisher's partner in Spider-Man: Brand New Day is going to be played by a black actress. That would rule out Sadie Sink for that specific role, since Rachel Cole Alves, the character widely assumed to be Frank Castle's sidekick, appears to seemingly be out the door for what Sink is playing.

Murphy writes: "While Rachel Cole is a fascinating character and also a ginger, like Sadie Sink, the widely shared reports about Sink's role call into question that she'd be playing Cole. On my end, I've heard that Castle's sidekick is indeed played by a black actress. Additionally, I've heard from two separate sources Sadie Sink's character is not who she appears to be, which has led me down a rabbit hole of my own." He frames this as his own theory, opinion only, not an official report, but I definitely think Marvel is trying to throw a lot of misdirection at us about who her character could actually be.

My Theory: Sadie Sink Could Be Playing Lily Hollister, Tied to Norman Osborn's Green Goblin

I've begun to believe Sink could be playing Lily Hollister, or a character who incorporates the important twists of Hollister into the plot of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In the comics, Hollister discovers one of Norman Osborn's hidden Goblin lairs. Given what we know about Norman Osborn's time in the MCU's Earth-616 in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the idea that he established lairs around the city can't be discounted, and this would line up with the shapeshifter rumors already attached to the film's villain.

In the comics, Hollister is dating Harry Osborn when she discovers one of Green Goblin's equipment lairs. She accidentally knocks over experimental chemicals, absorbs them, and is able to transform into her Menace form, essentially becoming Goblin. That would fit the shapeshifter angle people have heard about for this villain. What's interesting is that in recent years the character has actually become more of a hero in the comics, and I personally like that direction a lot more.

I don't want Sadie Sink's character to be a villain. Ever since she was cast I thought there were great roles for her to play, with Black Cat being one of them, and I still think it would be cool to have Black Cat in the MCU even with the different hair color. Now it sounds like she might end up a hybrid of Black Cat and Lily Hollister or Goblin, which could lead to some very interesting things for this movie while also connecting back to No Way Home.

How This Could Connect to Norman and Harry Osborn Joining the MCU

If this hybrid theory holds, it's worth noting a number of cast members have joined Spider-Man: Brand New Day without confirmed roles. Tramell Tillman has been announced as part of the cast, and there's speculation he could be playing Norman Osborn as the main 616 character, whether as a new Norman Osborn or one connected to lairs the version from No Way Home established. Either way, I think it would be really cool to finally add the Osborns into the MCU after this long.

This would also seemingly link Harry Osborn to the film, and Peter could use a friend given that MJ is going to be dating somebody else in Brand New Day, Ned is off at MIT, and nobody remembers who Peter Parker is anymore. It also looks like Peter is heading to college following the ending of No Way Home, which means a lot of retconning around a character who's already been through high school, but there's still plenty of story to tell with Harry and Peter meeting in college.

What We Know About the Cast Versus How Little We Know About the Plot

This movie sounds great so far, but it's funny how much we know about who's in it compared to how little we know about what actually happens. We know the Hulk, the Punisher, Scorpion, and Tombstone are involved. Yelena Belova has been rumored, Captain America has been rumored, and AIM might be in the movie too. Now it looks like Lily Hollister, or Black Cat, or some hybrid of the two, could be in it, along with Norman and Harry Osborn.

Beyond Scorpion breaking out of prison, and the Hulk, Punisher, and Spidey eventually fighting each other before teaming up, we don't really know the story or who the main villain is. I actually love this, knowing who's going to be in it while some mystery remains around Sadie Sink's character. Filming looks close to wrapping, maybe within the next month, definitely within the next couple of months, so more should come into focus soon.

If Sadie Sink turns out to be playing a hybrid of Lily Hollister and Black Cat, would that work for you?